Reviews of The Curse Girl

I was given this book by the author to review and LOVED it!! Not to say there weren't flaws in the plot and writing - there were - but overall I found the story to be a quick read that sucked me into its spell.

This is the story of Beauty and the Beast with a contemporary-ish twist. Beauty (Bee) has leave her life and go live at the cursed house to fulfill the promise that her father made in order to save her stepmother. She grew up hearing gruesome stories about the house and its inhabitants. Yet she leaves all her life to confront the beast that lives within the house out of duty to her family. The housed and its inhabitants are cursed by a spell that can only be broken by the Curse Girl one that is named Beauty. Although the friendship is rocky at first (to say the least) Bee & Will forge a truce and a pact to find a way to break the curse.

There were a lot of holes in the story. What happened to Bee’s mom? Was it her mom or no? How did she come to have a special power? Why did she feel that her Dad didn’t love her? What’s up with Rose?? I liked her but didn’t really understand her part in the story. Liam… although you discover the mystery of Liam I still wanted to know more. The ending was a bit too rushed but don’t all fairytales end that way.

Overall, a fun read!

This is a cute little read. It is a re-telling of the classic 'Beauty and the Beast' fairy tale. It was actually fairly accurate to the original as the author kept a lot of the same elements with just a little twist.

Even though this is a novella the characters are fairly well developed and you are able to care for them. The only thing I would have changed would be a little more of a back story about her family. In saying that, I understand it is very hard to have a lot of detailed info in a short story.

I recommend this little gem. If you like fairy tale re-tellings than this one will not disappoint!

I have been sitting here for about 10 minutes, trying to start writing. But I can’t seem to stop ogling the gorgeous cover of The Curse Girl. From the beautiful girl, to the gorgeous bluish/purplish colors, and the magic dust (or is it stars?); the cover to this book is a definite win.

As you might have deduced from the synopsis, The Curse Girl is a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. I’ve never read a re-telling of a classic tale, so I was excited to take this book on. When the story opens, Beauty (who also goes by Bee) has been betrayed, then abandoned by her father. Bee has been given up to the Beast to pay for her father’s sin. When her father leaves Bee at the Curse House, she must enter the spooky mansion and become a prisoner of the curse herself. As you might imagine, given that his nickname is Beast, the owner of the mansion, Will is arrogant, hateful and condescending. The house is filled with employers and family members who have also been saddled with the curse. Bee must decide whether to succumb to her fate, or work with Will to solve the riddle that makes up the curse.

The Curse Girl is filled with several memorable characters. There is Bee, of course. Bee is a funny, snarky, spunky girl. She never lets Will’s “beastly” personality get her completely down. She is immediately up to the challenge of solving the riddle. Will, as I stated before, definitely has some character flaws. While he is often irritable and rude, you always get the sense of his underlying despair and vulnerability. Will’s sister, Rose, is a delightful little girl. She is often the peacemaker to Will and Bee. There is also Liam, a boy chained in the basement of the mansion, whose screams wake Bee at night. The most surprising character of The Curse Girl is the house itself. Kate Ellison managed to make the house into another living, breathing, albeit spooky character.

While all of these elements make for a great story, The Curse Girl is not limited to the modern world. There is also Fae Land, the home of all mythical creatures. There are faeries, trolls, witches, elves vampires and werewolves. No one in Fae Land is trustworthy, and all are dangerous. Of course, the mystery to breaking the curse is the driving force of the story. What will break the curse? Will Bee and Will find a way to work together before time runs out?

The Curse Girl is a story filled with a tremendous sense of magic and wonder, which made it a very charming book. Kate Ellison managed to take a “tale as old as time” and create a charming story of her own.



*I received a copy of The Curse Girl from the author, Kate Ellison, who asked me to give an honest review*

I received this free as a read and review from Read it and Reap

I found this to be a nice and easy read and the story was a rather sweet one.
I really loved the Fey lands and would like to read more about them, perhaps in another book.
There were a few inconsistencies, but these were minor.
The descriptions were fantastic and sucked you into the story.

However I didn’t gel with the main character as she was a bit of a stroppy mare.

Unfortunately the ending felt a tad rushed.

That aside, it was a good tale. The witch was witchy, the drama was dramatic. The tale was not quite as old as time (apologies, couldn’t resist) and had a nice blending of the old and new, both in ideals and lifestyles.


Would recommend to younger Teens.

Beautiful cover, right? Plus, who doesn't like Beauty and the Beast? This story is bound to capture a lot of attention. It instantly captured my attention, but I would have liked to see more.

I like this book, the concept derived from Beauty and the Beast was extremely interesting. The story quickly grabbed my attention, making me entranced by the gorgeous words.

"A shattered chandelier lay three feet away, crystal droplets spread like frozen tears across the marble."

See? Gorgeous. Great imagery. Even the characters were fun, without any downright flaws, but my biggest thing with The Curse Girl is that it would have benefited greatly from a longer length. I liked the characters, but there wasn't really enough time to connect with them in a way that would have brought forth an even greater investment. I would have liked to see more of the budding feelings between 'Curse Girl' and 'Beast Boy' that would have lessened the instantaneous feeling that I got. I also would have liked to see a bigger interaction with the the other characters, because of the length, the story pretty much solely focuses on Bee and Will which isn't a bad thing, but it would have brought more emotion and better ties from me, the reader, to them, the characters. In other words, it would have rounded out the story more, adding depth. I know I'm not the only reviewer that has stated that the length should have been longer and honestly it's great how it is, but it would have been beyond fabulous if there was a little more detail. I know this because Kate Ellison has a talented writing ability that draws you into the world that she has created. There were just so many things that could have used more elaboration which would have only added layers to an already great story. Plus, there definitely should have been a more romantic ending!

The plot successfully kept me interested as they searched for the clues to break the curse, even twisting in unexpected ways at times. There were the obvious things that came from Beauty and the Beast, but there were also fresh ideas that made the story as fun and great as it was. There was one huge inconsistency that I found that didn't hugely subtract from my reading experience, but it was a big part of Bee as a character so it did take away from the magic of the story. If you've read the story, I'm sure you'll know what I'm referring to. It is firmly stated that Bee experiences something for the first time in a long while when I precisely remember reading about it happening twice prior to that moment.

A fast, fun read that shouldn't be missed, especially if you are a fan of fairy tales and um, Beauty and the Beast!

This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It is actually pretty similar but with a couple of twists. Bee grew up knowing that something wasn't right with the Curse House and heard a lot of stories about the house. Bee is terrified when she is sent to live in the Curse House by her father to help break the curse.

At first Bee's only concern is to escape the house and get back to her old life but once finding out that the house refuses to let her go, she decides to help break the curse. Will is not overly receptive to Bee and the feeling is mutual. However, they decide a truce is in order and they throw themselves into solving the riddle and breaking the curse. The curse that was intended for his brother from his sister-in-law. She had found him unfaithful and decided to put a curse on him but the curse went awry and cursed the house instead with everyone inside it, which now includes Bree.

I thought the story was a fun new take on Beauty and the Beast with the Fey Lands and all the magic involved. This is a great read for any YA reader.

Favorite quote...
Shortly after Bee is sent to the Curse house she is talking to Will and his sister Rose. She asks his what he likes to do and I thought his response was pretty funny considering everyone thinks that he is this evil, human eating beast.
"I prey on innocent villagers and terrify their children, and sometimes when I'm feeling really evil, I read books or paint."

In Beauty aka Bee’s town everyone knows the story about the mansion and the beast that lives inside. The stories vary but one this is the same….the beast is not someone you want to come in contact with! After Bee’s father tries to still some magic from the mansion he is forced to let Bee live there or their whole family will be cursed. Once inside the mansion everyone starts calling her “The curse girl” and she realizes she is part of a much bigger plan. Missing her family and friends, Bee tries to find a way out of the house and away from Will (The Beast) but the windows won’t break and the doors won’t open. She is now bound by magic and if she wants to break the curse, her and Will are going to have to work together. Will is handsome but a total jerk, only the more time they spend together the more Bee likes him. Also, the house isn’t all bad and Bee makes friends with Rose, Will’s sister and the servants. Now this isn’t just about her getting out, she’s emotionally involved and wants to save everyone from this curse that wasn’t even meant for them. Is it possible she’s falling for the Beast? Are they ever going to break the curse?

This was an enjoyable short read, but I think I set myself up for disappointment. This book has received great reviews and had a beautiful cover so I was expecting something more than what I got. Naturally the story was pretty predictable because it is a re-do of “Beauty and the Beast,” which everyone already knows. I think I would have liked this better if I hadn’t heard of “Beastly” first, because that is a hard one to follow after. That being said, I did love the dialog between the characters. You could really see them changing and starting to like…then love one another. I also think the concept of the curse coming from a witch that is now in the “Fay Lands” rather interesting and would like to read more about that magical world. Beauty was very lovable and sweet and it was always easy to relate to her. A cute afternoon read for any YA lover.

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(no rating)
When I started reading this book I thought it was just a simple review of the history of Beauty and the Beast, one of those books when, before reading, you realize that you know exactly what is going to happen.
But I must say that, surprisingly, in the end it has proved to be better than I thought.
The writing is simple and linear, maybe a bit 'too fast in some points, but nothing heavy or dull.
the story is a constant succession of events that leave you for a moment, speechless. and just when you're going to say: "Uh, I remember this part of history," immediately, something happens that makes you think "What now?"
I loved this book not only because the Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite stories, or because Will is fantastic (yes, I love the grumpy types that eventually prove to be sweet and romantic), but also because it was able to introduce new elements in the story, without spoiling the storyline.
In summary, I believe, that now, this book has become one of my favorites.